1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a call apparatus and a call method employing a network enabling the call under a high sound quality environment, such as the Internet. More particularly, it relates to a call apparatus, a call method and a call system, in which not only the call voice but also the background music (BGM) or the effect sound (SE) may be transmitted/received.
This application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No.2003-280430, filed in Japan on Jul. 25, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
2. Description of Related Art
In the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2002-344571, the present Assignee has disclosed a technique pertinent to a call apparatus and a call method according to which a user may have a call more pleasantly as he/she listens to the music. In such call apparatus, music contents data, used as BGM, are stored in storage means and, as a caller talks with a callee over call means, music contents are reproduced by reproducing means from the storage means. At this time, control means manages control to enable a party of call to hear both the voice from the counterpart party and the reproduced sound of the contents. The call means also transmits the reproduced sound of the contents to the counterpart party. Meanwhile, during call, the reproducing level of the music, used as the BGM, is lowered to a preset level, provided from the outset. This technique enables the user to enjoy the music as BGM, as he/she is having a call.
The present Assignee has also disclosed, in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication H7-143221, a technique pertinent to a telephone apparatus in which plural music contents used as holding tone are captured from outside over the telephone network, recorded on a magneto-optical disc in association with identification data, and reproduced as the holding tone responsive to e.g. the selection by the user in keeping with identification data.
[Patent Publication 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2002-344571
[Patent Publication 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication H7-143221
However, if the technique disclosed in the Patent Publication 1 is used, the sound volume level of the BGM or the effect sound is fixed at a preset level, provided from the outset, with respect to the usual voice level, and hence there is a risk that the user feels the sound volume level of the BGM or the SE to be too high depending on environmental conditions, and hence feels the speech voice as being hardly audible. Conversely, the user may feel that the BGM or SE is of too low sound volume level and hence may feel the call to be unpleasant.
If, in the telephone apparatus, supplying the BGM during call, the technique disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Publication 2 is used to store the holding tone on the recording medium, the music data different from the BGM is stored in a dedicated storage unit. The result is that limitations are imposed on the storage volume of other data to be stored on a recording medium, for example, a message for a telephone answering service.